Tell you worst

experience with
your teacher.
How did it
affect your
learning?
Humanistic
Psychology
Learning Theory
By: Ma. Althea Estevanez
• Among the approaches,
humanistic psychology at
first glance may not be
associated with
learning.

• Its principles and

applications are more
related to the fields of
counselling,
developmental,
personality and social.
But in learning, some
may think twice.
Carl
Rogers
(1902 – 1987)
• Carl Rogers was a
humanistic psychologist
who agreed with the main
assumptions of Abraham
Maslow, but added that
for a person to "grow",
they need an environment
that provides them with
genuineness, acceptance,
and empathy.
• Nevertheless, humanistic
approach, the ‘third
force’ of psychology,
focus on the things that
make people uniquely
human such as subjective
emotions and the freedom
to choose one’s own
destiny.

• Can this approach be

applied in the
classroom?

• How?
• Rogers (1961) emphasized
that human beings are
always doing their
utmost effort to fulfil
their innate capacities
and capabilities and to
develop into everything
that their genetic
potential will allow
them to become. This
striving for fulfilment
is called the self-
actualization tendency.
• Carl Rogers believed
that humans have one
basic motive, that is
the tendency to self-
actualize - i.e., to
fulfill one's potential
and achieve the highest
level of 'human-
beingness' we can.
• For an individual to
self-actualize, he or
she must develop an
image of oneself or
the self-concept.
• Moreover, there are
two important
components of the
self-concept: the
real self and the
ideal self.
• Real self is the
person’s actual
perception of
characteristics,
traits and abilities
that form the basis
of the striving for
self-actualization.
• On the other
hand, ideal self is
the perception of
what one should be or
would like to be.
• Rogers believed that
when the real self
and the ideal self
are very close or
similar to each
other, people feel
competent and
capable. However,
when there is a
mismatch between the
real and ideal
selves, anxiety and
neurotic behaviour
can be the result.
• To have these two
components match,
people need to
receive
unconditional
positive regard.
• Unconditional
positive regard is
where parents,
significant others
(and the humanist
therapist) accepts
and loves the person
for what he or she
is. Positive regard
is not withdrawn if
the person does
something wrong or
makes a mistake.
• Conditional
positive regard is
where positive
regard, praise, and
approval, depend
upon the child, for
example, behaving in
ways that the
parents think
correct. Hence the
child is not loved
for the person he or
she is, but on
condition that he or
she behaves only in
ways approved by the
parent(s).
• Applying this in the
field of
counselling, Roger
believed that the
counsellor should
provide the
unconditional
positive regard that
has been absent from
the troubled
person’s life.

• The counsellor acts

as a ‘sounding
board’.
 Applying Roger’s
Theory in the
classroom,
the Teacher should…
• Guide the students in
fulfilling their innate
capabilities for them
to achieve self-
actualization

• Assist them in
discovering their self-
concept

• Not be controlling and

the classroom ambiance
should be relaxed

• Also express
unconditional positive
regard towards the
students
NO!!!

• shouting in front of
the class

• saying inappropriate
words while having a
class discussion and

• embarrassing a
student in front of
his or her
classmates
• This theory emphasized
the major role of the
counselee rather than
the counsellor in
solving his or her own
problems.

• The teacher would be

the facilitator of that
learning process.

• Therefore, ‘spoon-
feeding’ is
inappropriate way to
help students learn and
achieve self-
actualization.
REFERENCES

• Rogers, C. (1961). On
becoming a person: A
therapist’s view of
psychotherapy. Boston:
Houghton/Mifflin.

• https://julesborras.word
press.com/2013/03/17/hum
anism-in-the-classroom-
teaching-learning-in-
the-eyes-of-rogers-
maslow-2/

• https://www.simplypsycho
logy.org/humanistic.html